


pride is the one to blame

by thatapostateboy



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout: New Vegas
Genre: Drinking, Drinking & Talking, F/M, Implied Sexual Content, Kissing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-25
Packaged: 2019-06-14 18:40:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15395004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatapostateboy/pseuds/thatapostateboy
Summary: Six goes to the Tops with every intention of killing Benny. But when she finds Yes Man in his suite and discovers his plan, she changes her tune, wanting to work it to her benefit. And if that included having to work with the man who tried to kill her... so be it.





	1. suspicious minds

The heels of her black boots sounded loudly across the casino floor of the Tops. She had everything she needed to finally see this through. She had risen from her grave, crossed the Mojave, sweet talked her way through every barrier that prevented her from being right here at this moment. She may have been new to this game, but she was learning how to play. Vegas wasn’t like the rest of the desert. If she strolled in here in her leather armour, armed with her biggest gun, she wasn’t going to get within a thousand feet of her target. No, instead she had kitted herself out with a new black dress, complete with a tight fitting blazer and a matching fedora to sit atop her dark waves of hair that she had taken out of its usual messy bun and styled in her new suite in the Lucky 38. As much as anyone could see, she was an unarmed woman looking to drink and gamble. Only she knew about the silenced .22 she had strapped to the inside of her thigh.

It hadn’t taken much to sway Swank to her side, convincing him to turn on his boss and hand over the key to his suite so that she could see to business. She had made her way upstairs, planning to wait there for Benny to arrive a few hours later when she could lay the perfect trap for him then walk away without anyone being any the wiser.

Yet, as she had gone through his belongings, trying to find some more clues about her attempted murderer, she had come across something she hadn’t accounted for. The discovery of Yes Man, and his overeagerness to share Benny’s plans had put a spanner in the works. The Platinum Chip and Benny’s plan were the key to ruling Vegas. It was a prospect she had never considered before. She had done some work for the NCR as she travelled and had thought about taking up a more permanent position with them once her business here was dealt with, but for the short time she had spent in New Vegas, she had felt more at home than anywhere else since she’d woken up in Goodsprings.

But she was no fool. If she wanted to rule Vegas, she knew she couldn’t do it alone.

Which was what had brought her back down to the casino floor, walking straight toward the figure in the all too familiar chequered suit. He was talking to the group of men around him; his guards no doubt. One of them noticed her approach and gave a nod to Benny who turned to see her just as she came to a stop at the bottom of the steps.

“What in the god damn?” his eyes went wide as the realisation dawned on him just who she was. He held up his hands slightly, “Let’s keep this in the groove, hey? Smooth moves, _smooth_.” She couldn’t help but smile to herself as his eyebrows went up as well, “Hello! That broad everyone saw go in the Lucky 38, that was you? Oh shit.”

“Good to see you too, Benny,” she smiled, “I think you need some pointers on your marksmanship.”

He let out a hard laugh, “I hit what I was aiming for. Can’t blame me if your thick skull couldn’t take it. Or perhaps you just had brains to spare. Either way, baby, this is good news. Maybe I can sleep at night, knowing you didn’t die.”

“Should I be flattered that you lost sleep over little old me?” she quirked an eyebrow at him.

He smirked, “What say you and me cash out, go somewheres more private-like? Any questions you got, I’ll answer. I’ll comp you the Presidential, best suite in the house. Give you a taste of the VIP lifestyle. It’s the least you deserve.” One of his men handed him the key, which he held out to her, “I’ll hang out down here, make sure everything looks all business-as-usual, then I’ll come join you. No doubt you want to test out the Tops hospitality in private.”

She took a step closer, “I plan to enjoy it to its full potential, but first, you promised me some answers. Lose the bodyguards, and we both go to the suite together. Now. Or I walk.”

He met her gaze for a moment as if calculating her motives then gave her a charming smile, “If that’s what it takes to win your trust, that’s what it takes. Follow me.”

He nodded towards the elevator and she fell into step beside him, letting her eyes dart around, sizing up every potential threat. One move from Benny and she knew there would be fifty Chairmen guns pointed at her before she could pull her pistol. She had to be one step ahead of him.

They rode up the elevator in initial silence, sharing an awkward glance as she caught him looking her up and down.

“What?” she snapped her head to look at him.

“Nothing, baby,” he shrugged, an almost satisfied glint to his eyes, “Just wondering if you always come to business meetings with your charlies and your pins on show.”

“Didn’t think you’d appreciate my dusty, beaten up leathers.”

“How sweet of you to worry,” he smiled as the doors slid open and they stepped into the suite. He headed directly for the bar, gesturing for her to take a seat on one of the stools. She did so, watching as he grabbed two glasses, “What can I get you, doll?”

“Whiskey apple sour,” she said without missing a beat.

“Woman after my own heart,” he smirked as he made their drinks, whisking their cocktails up with an almost professional flair. He poured them out, sliding the glass towards her as he took a seat beside her.

She took a sip, giving an impressed hum, “Not bad. Not often a girl gets ice in her drinks.”

“I told you the Ben-Man would show you the VIP treatment,” he reminded her, taking a mouthful of his own before turning his head towards her, “So, I gotta ask; how did you dig your way out of that hole in Goodsprings?”

“It takes more than a couple of bullets to the head to stop me.”

“Yeah, _hello_ ,” he said, gesturing at her, “Serves me right for using a 9mm. Not that it matters now. Once you were vertical, how’d you track me down?”

“A girl’s got her ways,” she told him, setting her drink down, “You got a smoke?”

“Sure,” he nodded, pulling a packet of cigarettes out of the inside pocket of his jacket. As he did, she caught a flash of the gun he had tucked away there. He handed her a cigarette, placing one in his own mouth, then began patting his pockets down, cursing under his breath, “Damn it, sorry babe, seems I’ve misplaced my lighter.”

“I got you,” she said, slipping her hand into her own pocket and pulling out his lighter, flicking it and lighting the cigarette that hung loosely from his lips in shock. She lit her own with a smug grin, placing it on the bar, “Seems like you dropped something in Boulder City.”

He took a drag on his cigarette, sighing out of breath of smoke, “And to think I deemed that flintbox my lucky charm. Oh, the irony… I guess that’s enough scratching around at first base. Tell me, which way is the wind gonna blow?”

“You got a lot of explaining to do,” she said.

He nodded, “You got questions, I got answers.”

To his credit, he answered every question she asked. She asked about his plan, about House, about the Chip, and he gave her answers. Not the full answers like she had received from Yes Man, but enough to know that he wasn’t straight lying to her face. She could tell that this was leading to an offer on his end, no doubt a pile of caps to keep her out of the way, maybe even a cut of the profits if his plan worked out, but she had had enough playing around.

“So,” she said, stubbing out her smoke in the ashtray that sat between them, “What does any of this have to do with your secret workshop and the securitron you’ve got in there?”

She watched as he turned to look at her, the expression on his face allowing her to relish in the fact that he had been outplayed.

“You… really weren’t supposed to talk to him,” he said quietly, then let out a sigh, explaining how he had obtained Yes Man, had him reprogrammed, and used him to begin his whole plot to overthrow House. When he was done, a frown crossed his face, “So if you knew my scheme all along, why make me explain it all over again? I’m sure you’ve got better things to be doing with your time.”

“It’s simple, Ben-Man, I want in,” she told him, “You’re right about New Vegas and its need for independence.”

“I can’t imagine you’re offering out of the kindness of your heart, baby, what’s the asking price?”

“When it’s all over, I want a slice of the pie. Not just the caps, which I also want a lot of. I want to run this city.”

“That’s a big ask, baby doll. You’re new around here, ain’t a lot of folks that’ll be happy about some broad strutting in and demanding a chunk of the Strip,” he said.

“Trust me, I’m worth the price I’m asking. I caused quite a stir on my journey here, you know I can hold my own in a fight as well as a board room.”

“So how would this work? You put in the time bringing down House, keeping the NCR and the Legion at bay, and then what; you want a spot in the Chairmen?”

She rose from her seat and grabbed the bottle of whiskey, pouring them a few fingers each into their now empty glasses, leaning against the bar, “Think bigger, Benny baby. I don’t want to muscle in on your little gang. When the smoke clears, and House is gone, I want the Lucky 38.”

“You even got any idea about running a casino, pussycat?” he raised an eyebrow.

“Two months ago I was dug up out of my own grave without a single memory in my head, I didn’t know how to fire a gun or what my own name was, but I made it here. I’m a quick learner,” she bit back, knocking back her whiskey in one burning mouthful.

“Damn, baby, I really did a number on you, didn’t I?” he sighed, and she could have sworn there was a glint of sadness in his gaze. She narrowed her eyes at him then knocked back his drink as well.

“Do we have a deal or not?” she asked, pouring them a shot of whiskey, “You need my help, and I won’t be offering it forever.”

“You really are one crazy broad, you know that?” he laughed softly as he picked up his own glass, holding it up slightly, “I can’t promise you that this will go the way we want, but you hold up your end of the deal, I’ll do everything in my power to hold up mine. Deal?”

She clinked her glass against his, “Deal.”


	2. sweetest submission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a deal set, Benny and Six start talking business. But when the whiskey hits, there's a different type of business to see to.

 

They talked for hours, going over the finer details of the plan now that she was fully on board, discussing how they were going to get the other factions on their side. Everyone would want something different, but if they were smart, they knew they could form an incredible alliance across the Mojave that would make the Strip the true seat of power.

As they talked, they drank their way through the whiskey, eventually taking a more comfortable position on the couch together so that they could lounge and talk. Tension loosened significantly between them, knowing that the threat the other posed was slipping further and further away as their partnership showed opportunities for more mutual benefits. But as that tension dissolved, another began to grow. The more alcohol they consumed, the more comfortable they became until they were sat her bare legs resting in his lap as she reclined back, her jacket stripped off, his casually hanging open, tie loosened.

He couldn’t keep his eyes off of her. Two months ago, he had shot someone that had gotten in his way. A means to an end. It wasn’t even until he had the gun to her head that he had realised that she was a young woman. She had seemed fairly nondescript, raggedy dark hair tucked up in a cap, dressed in standard wasteland leathers. But as he looked at her now, she was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. The caramel coloured skin of her legs seemed to stretch on forever until they reached the hem of her dress on her mid-thigh, leading to the gorgeous curve of her hips, her tight waist, up to her fantastic pair of charlies that strained against the black fabric of her dress, her slender neck, and her face, complete with stunning cheekbones and dark eyes. She looked like something out of an Old War pin up magazine.

“See something you like?”

Her voice knocked him out of his haze, snapping his eyes up to meet hers, “You’ve got the Ben-Man turned all inside out, you laying there like that.”

She smirked, “Perhaps we should call it a night, wouldn’t want Benny getting himself all a twitter over a lady.”

“If I know one thing about you, it’s that you ain’t a lady.”

She feigned shock, but giggled softly, “You wouldn’t know a real lady if she was laying half naked on your couch.”

He hummed, one of his hands resting on her bare leg, “I don’t think a proper lady would have turned up to a Vegas casino dressed like you if she didn’t plan on someone staring.”

“I know how to get what I want,” she said.

“And what is it that you want?” his voice lowered as his hand slid higher, his touch raising goosepimples on her skin.

“I want you to show me the real Tops hospitality.”

“You making a pass at me, baby? I’m out of your league,” he teased, hand still sliding up as she sat up to bring their faces closer together, the smells of whiskey on their now mingled breath.

Her own hand went to his chest, fingertips trailing down the length of his tie, “Girls like bad boys. And you’ve been downright awful.”

“This is one twisted show of forgiveness,” he murmured, hand paused just above her knee.

She met his eyes, “For what it’s worth, I do forgive you.”

As he took in her words, the playful tension between them shattered and he gave in, leaning his face in the extra few inches and kissing her, _hard_. She eagerly kissed him back, both of their hands moving to wrap around each other, Benny pulling her eagerly into his lap. She ground her hips down against him as his tongue slipped into her mouth, his fingers tangled in her hair.

With her legs wrapped around his waist, he stood and carried her into the bedroom, laying her down on the king sized bed. He leaned over her, his hands finding hers to pin them above her head and he continued to kiss her, both of them desperate for more contact.

“I hope you’re built sturdy, pussycat, Benny’s gonna show you the Tops,” he murmured in her ear as he started to kiss her neck. Her only response was a gasped moan that sent heat right to his gut. He slid his hand up the inside of her thigh, eager to tease her, but he paused when he felt something hard and metal against his fingertips. He yanked up the hem of her dress, sliding it up to her stomach, parting her legs to see the silenced pistol that was strapped to her leg.

She glanced at him, and he could have sworn there was a pang of guilt in her eyes. It was clear to him now. She had come here to kill him, and when Yes Man had spilled his plans, she had seized the opportunity to get in on the action. He waited for it to hurt, the thought of the woman who had been so eager to work with him coming here with the intention to end his life, but if anything he felt a bubble of affection in his gut. She still could have killed him and continued his plan without him. She could have had her revenge, and the Strip. But she had chosen to work with him.

He unbuckled the thigh holster and their eyes met, her chest rising and falling faster than before with anticipation. He reached inside his jacket and pulled out Maria. He slowly, but purposefully placed both pistols on the ground, then kicked them under the bed.

She was on him in a flash, pulling him back down on top of her, hungrily kissing him as they yanked each other’s clothes off. It was all a blur after that, the pair of them losing themselves in the feel of each other’s bodies, pleasure rocketing through them both before they landed in a sweaty heap on the pillows, side by side, only their fingertips brushing together.

“Well,” she said, still breathless, “That’s one way to seal a deal.”

He looked across at her, “You’re a real ring-a-ding, broad. That was the best hey-hey this guy’s had in a long time.”

“I live to please,” she smiled.

Their fingertips met again and he felt his chest jolt, “Did… Did you mean what you said before, baby? About forgiving me?”

She met his gaze and rolled closer to him, laying her chin on his chest to look at him, “Of course I meant it. I’ve spent the last few months thinking about nothing but taking my revenge. But it really ain’t worth it. It wasn’t personal. And besides, if I want my piece of Vegas, I need someone like you on my side; someone who’s willing to get things done. Just as much as you need someone like me, someone who can find an easier way to do things.”

“An easier way, huh?” he raised an eyebrow.

“I can’t guarantee what I would have been like before you scrambled my brain, but if you’d cut me in on the deal back then instead of pointing a gun at my head, we could have saved ourselves a whole lot of trouble,” she said.

“And probably gotten your help for a significantly lower price,” he hummed, then glanced down, “So you really got no clue who you were before?”

She shook her head, “I get flashes sometimes, when I’m asleep, but I can’t tell if I’m dreaming or not. It was the main reason I wanted to get my revenge. I ain’t mad that you shot me, I’ve had enough raiders shoot at me, it’s just the way of the world. I was mad about the life you stole from me. Death would have been cleaner… And yet…”

“Yet, baby?” he prompted.

“All this time got me thinking that maybe you did me a favour. Whoever I was before, no one’s come looking for her. No one’s recognised me. Whatever flashes I get, I’m wandering the Wasteland alone. That bullet hit a big reset button on my brain and I got a chance at a new life.”

“For whatever my word is worth, I think you’re platinum, pussycat; Vegas ain’t gonna know what hit it with you in town.”

She smiled, shifting up his body a little to kiss him. They lay lazily together for a while, making out, hands exploring each other’s body, limbs entangled. Somewhere in the midst of it, they both found pleasure once again before they began to doze off.

“Hold me, will ya?” he murmured, rolling over to lay his head on her breasts, “I swear you wore me out.”

She laughed softly, draping an arm around him as snores began to rumble through him. She looked up at the ceiling for a few moments, trying to wrap her head around the events of the last few hours. She had woken up this morning ready to take his life, and now they were in bed together, ready to begin work on taking over Vegas come the morning.

She carded her fingers through his dark hair, smiling to herself as he mumbled something and cuddled closer into her. She felt her heart jolt with affection and her eyes widened.

 _Fuck_ , she thought to herself, this was one curveball that she was not expecting life to throw at her. It was just one night, a product of too much whiskey and confused feelings. She wasn’t going to waste her shot at the big leagues for a guy, and definitely not for _this_ guy.

But the time for those worries was in the morning. For now, she was going to enjoy the feeling of not sleeping alone, and for the first time in weeks, she fell asleep without one hand on her gun.

She wasn’t sure how long she’d been asleep for when she was roused from her sleep. She let out a content sigh, remembering where she was, but she jolted up when she slid her arm out, seeking the warmth of Benny’s body only to find the mattress beside her cold and empty. She swung her legs out of bed, sheets wrapped around her body, finding her clothes folded on the beaten up couch, her pistol perched on top still in the holster. Beside it, there was a handwritten note.

_Pussycat,_

_Thanks for showing a guy the absolute Tops. I wasn’t kidding when I said that was the best bit of hey-hey I’ve ever had. You are solid platinum._

_I wish I could stay for another round, but this gent’s got places to be, things to do. You showing up has changed my plans. You had to go and force my hand, didn’t you baby? The time to act is now. I hate to go back on a deal, honey, but a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do._

_I’ve left instructions with Swank. The suite is yours for as long as you want it. You won’t want for anything, baby. I won’t be around for a while, but if everything works out right, you and me are a date, got it? Wouldn’t miss it for all the caps in Vegas._

_Now don’t get clingy and try to follow me._

_Ciao,_

_Benny_

“You sly motherfucker,” she whispered to herself, grabbing her clothes and dressing quickly. She strapped her gun back to her thigh and adjusted her hat top her head. She took whatever supplies she could from the suite and headed for the elevator.

She had work to do.


End file.
